BP restarts Whiting refinery after power outage and fire

BP Plc has resumed refining operations at its Whiting facility in Indiana after a disruption triggered by a power outage that occurred outside the plant. The company confirmed that all employees safely returned to the site and that power supply had been restored.

Key unit back online

The restart includes the reactivation of the fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCC), which processes 110,000 barrels per day. According to data from industry monitoring firm IIR Energy, this unit played a central role in restoring operations. The FCC is critical for producing key components such as gasoline and light distillates.

The production halt was initially caused by an operational malfunction affecting several units, which led to a fire that was quickly extinguished. BP stated that there were no reported injuries and that emergency protocols were implemented without incident.

Maintenance continues in parallel

The Whiting refinery, the largest in BP’s U.S. portfolio and among the biggest nationwide, mainly supplies gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel to the Midwest region. Since mid-September, the facility has been undergoing scheduled maintenance on major units, including the catalytic cracker and crude processing system.

These maintenance operations, expected to last approximately two months, continue despite the recent disruption. BP has not communicated any changes to the initial maintenance timeline.

Regional infrastructure relevance

The Whiting refinery plays a strategic role in supplying refined fuels to the central United States. Its ability to resume production swiftly after technical incidents reinforces the resilience of the regional energy supply chain.

The company has not indicated whether production adjustments would be implemented to offset the output lost during the shutdown. No financial impact estimate has been released concerning the incident or the partial restart of the affected units.